Research in Veterinary Science

NexGard®PLUS (moxidectin, afoxolaner, and pyrantel pamoate), is an oral combination product for dogs indicated for the prevention of heartworm disease, the treatment and prevention of flea and tick infestations, and the treatment of gastro-intestinal nematode infections. The safety of this product in dogs was evaluated in three studies. Study #1 was a margin-of-safety study conducted in puppies, dosed six times at 28-day intervals at 1X, 3X, or 5X multiples of the maximum exposure dose (equivalent to 24 μg/kg moxidectin, 5 mg/kg afoxolaner, and 10 mg/kg pyrantel)...

Pulse oximetry (SpO2 ) identifies a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2 ) when it falls below 80 mmHg, while oxygen reserve index (ORi), a dimensionless index ranging from 0 to 1, detects PaO2 changes between 100 and 200 mmHg. This study investigates the usefulness of ORi in detecting impending deoxygenation before traditional SpO2 . Fifty-one dogs undergoing anesthesia were mechanically ventilated maintaining a fraction of inspired oxygen of 0.50 and an ORi of 1. Animals were classified according to their body condition score (BCS) as normal-fit (BCS 4-5/9), overweight (BCS 6-7/9), or obese (BCS 8-9/9)...

This study aimed to assess how heat stress, specifically within the range of 35-38 °C, affects the populations of culturable intestinal lactobacilli, enterococci, and Escherichia coli, as well as the expression of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP70), in Lohmann Brown chickens. It also explored the influence of the chickens' blood transferrin and ceruloplasmin genotypes on these responses. Thirty chickens underwent eight hours of heat stress, maintained at an average temperature of 37 °C and a relative humidity of 75-80%, with continuous access to food and water...

Infection and clinical cases of leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum in cats have been increasingly reported in several countries, including Brazil. In this study, we used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an immunochromatographic test (ICT) based on a recombinant antigen (rKDDR-plus) to detect anti-Leishmania antibodies in cats from an animal shelter in northeastern Brazil. We compared the results with an ELISA using L. infantum crude antigen (ELISA-CA). We also investigated the presence of Leishmania DNA in blood or ocular conjunctival samples as well as the association between Leishmania PCR positivity and serological positivity to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and Toxoplasma gondii...

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) can cause fatal fulminant hepatitis, which is very similar to human acute liver failure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) could alleviate RHDV2-induced liver injury in rabbits. Twenty 50-day-old rabbits were divided randomly into two groups (RHDV2 group, ADSCs + RHDV2 group). Starting from the 1st day, two groups of rabbits were given 0.5 ml of viral suspensions by subcutaneous injection in the neck. Meanwhile, the ADSCs + RHDV2 group was injected with ADSCs cell suspension (1...

Two randomized crossover trials evaluated the effects of nicardipine constant rate infusion (CRI) on 1) the anesthetic potency of sevoflurane and 2) the ability to attenuate dexmedetomidine-induced cardiovascular depression in anesthetized dogs. First, six healthy Beagle dogs weighing 11.7 ± 0.9 kg were allocated to one of three treatments that administered a CRI of carrier (saline) or dexmedetomidine 0.5 or 3.0 μg/kg/h following a loading dose. The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane was determined utilizing electric stimuli before and after the loading dose of nicardipine (20 μg/kg intravenously for 10 min), followed by CRI at 40 μg/kg/h with 60 min of equilibration...

The effect of salinomycin sodium alone and in combination with functional oils on performance and microbiota of broiler infected Eimeria were evaluated. 512 broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatments (8 replicates, 16 birds/pen): a Control group (any additives); Ionophore group: salinomycin supplementation at 66 ppm (SS66); Ionophore +0.075% Functional oil (FO) group (SS66 + FO supplementation at 750 ppm); and Ionophore +0.10% FO group (SS66 + FO supplementation at 1000 ppm)...

Antimicrobial usage (AMU) could be reduced by differentiating the causative bacteria in cases of clinical mastitis (CM) as either Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria or identifying whether the case is culture-negative (no growth, NG) mastitis. Immunoassays for biomarker analysis and a Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) proteomic investigation were employed to identify differences between samples of milk from cows with CM caused by different bacteria. A total of 94 milk samples were collected from cows diagnosed with CM across seven farms in Scotland, categorized by severity as mild (score 1), moderate (score 2), or severe (score 3)...

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of repeated administrations of antioxidant multiminerals and vitamins in transition buffaloes on udder defense mechanism, antioxidant activity and occurrence of intramammary infection (IMI) in early lactation period. Forty clinically healthy pregnant buffaloes were enrolled 45 days before expected date of calving and randomly allocated into five different supplementation groups (n = 8): only basal ration (control), vitamin E and selenium (VES), multiminerals (MM), ascorbic acid (AA) and chromium (Cr) picolinate in basal diet...

Inulin has potential benefits for alleviating intestinal stress syndrome, constipation, and immunomodulation. However, its effects on cat gastrointestinal tract remain unexplored. Eight healthy adult British short-haired cat were administered 50 mg/kg/d inulin with a basal diet for 21 days, while fecal samples were collected to measure indole and 3-methylindole levels, immune index detection, and fecal microbial diversity on days 0, 7, 14, and 21. The results showed that adding inulin to the diet of cat could cause the increase of sIgA on day 14 (P < 0...

Necrotic enteritis caused by Clostridium perfringens (CP), is a common enteric disease of poultry that has been previously controlled by in-feed antibiotics. However, due to the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance, alternatives to antibiotics such as probiotics have received considerable attention because of their immunomodulatory and intestinal health benefits. The present study investigated the effects of probiotic lactobacilli on gut histomorphology and intestinal innate responses in chickens. Day-old male broiler chickens were treated with 1 × 107 or 1 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU) of a lactobacilli cocktail on days 1, 7, 14, and 20 post-hatch, while control groups were not treated with lactobacilli...

The use of phytoextracts has been proposed as a method to improve animal welfare, also in pigs, by reducing stress and anxiety and improving performances. Lavandula angustifolia (Miller) essential oil (LaEO) is an interesting calming phytoextract that could be administered by inhalation for prolonged periods of time to help pigs coping with on-farm conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of daily inhalation of vaporized LaEO on pigs' welfare and health indicators, and nasal microbiota, trying to understand whether this phytoextract represents a feasible tool to improve animal welfare under intensive farming conditions...

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) represents a worrying example of antimicrobial resistance, and it is essential to acquire new information to monitor the spread and limit it further diffusion. This study aimed to characterise 22 MRSA isolates from horses, dogs, cats, and their human handlers focusing on spa typing. In the analysis of the sequences obtained, the spa type is "unknown" (unidentified) and all the sequences except one had repeats previously not known in all databases potentially indicating new spa-repeats...

Uterine diseases are main indications for antibiotic use in dairy cows. To test a non-antibiotic treatment option, we compared the effect of an intrauterine cephapirin (Metricure®; cefapirin benzathin 500 mg per dosis; CEPH) with an intrauterine applied herbal product (25 ml of EucaComp® PlantaVet containing alcoholic extracts of Calendula officinalis L., Mellissa officinalis L., Origanum majorana L. and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (EUC)) on the clinical cure of endometritis. Examinations of 816 cows between 21 and 35 days after calving were performed and cases of clinical endometritis (n = 169) were included...

Improperly cooked fish, carrying active metacercariae (MCs), can pose a significant risk for transmitting fish-borne zoonotic trematodes (FBZTs) to human consumers. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of FBZTs by conducting a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis involving various fish species, such as Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), and red-belly tilapia (Tilapia zillii). These fish specimens were collected from distinct Egyptian governorates, specifically Giza, Kafr al-Shaykh, and Fayoum...

The value of pig as "large animal model" is a well-known tool for translational medicine, but it can also be beneficial in studying animal health in a one-health vision. The ConcePTION Project aims to provide new information about the risks associated with medication use during breastfeeding, as this information is not available for most commonly used drugs. In the IMI-Conception context, Göttingen Minipigs have been preferred to hybrid pigs for their genetic stability and microbiological control. For the first time, in the present research, three primary cell cultures of mammary epithelial cells were isolated and characterized from Göttingen Minipigs (mpMECs), including their ability to create the epithelial barrier...

The rise of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), poses a significant global health challenge, urging immediate action and continuous surveillance. With no available vaccines, monitoring pathogen presence is critical to identify at-risk areas promptly. A study was designed to assess the incidence of CCHF virus in goats and cattle using commercial ELISA IgG kits in tribal-dominated regions. Overall, 16% of the samples (n = 63/393) were positive for CCHF virus-specific IgG antibodies, whereas sero-prevalence detected in cattle 11...

To characterize wild-type bacteriophages and their effect on Salmonella Heidelberg intestinal colonization in broilers, phages combined in a cocktail were continuously delivered via drinking water since the first day after hatching. After challenge with a field strain, broilers were evaluated at regular intervals for S. Heidelberg and bacteriophages in tissues and cecum, and gross and microscopic lesions in organs. Phages were highly virulent against S. Heidelberg by efficiency of plating. One-step growth curves exhibited eclipse period from 20 to 25 min, whereas the lowest latent period and higher burst size found were 45 min and 54 PFU/cell, respectively...

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a relatively common tumor in dogs. However, very few canine STS cell lines are available. This study aimed to establish a new cell line, STS-YU1, derived from a recurrence of myxosarcoma in an 11-year-old mixed-breed dog. We examined STS-YU1 for in vitro cell proliferation, migration, anticancer drug sensitivity, transcriptome analysis using next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq), and in vivo tumorigenicity in mice and compared it with previously established STS cell lines, MUMA-G and A72...

Digital dermatitis is one of the most important causes of lameness in dairy cattle, particularly in housed, intensively-managed cattle. The number of modern intensive dairy farms in China has increased markedly in recent years; however, we lack research on digital dermatitis in Chinese dairy cattle. This preliminary study aimed to estimate the prevalence of digital dermatitis on three conveniently selected farms in Jiangsu, China. The washed hind feet of all lactating cows on all three farms were examined during milking with the aid of a mobile phone light source...